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Mastectomy Health Article
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Definition
A mastectomy is the surgery to remove the entire breast. It is usually done to treat breast cancer.
Alternative Names
Breast removal surgery; Subcutaneous mastectomy; Total mastectomy; Simple mastectomy; Modified radical mastectomy
Description
You will be given general anesthesia (unconscious and pain-free). The surgeon will make an elliptical cut in your breast:
One or two small plastic drains or tubes are usually left in your chest to remove extra fluid from where the breast tissue used to be. Your surgeon may be able to reconstruct the breast (with artificial implants or tissue from your own body) during the same operation. You may also choose to have reconstruction later. See also:
Mastectomy generally takes 1 to 3 hours.
Why the Procedure Is Performed
WOMAN DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER The most common reason for a mastectomy is breast cancer. Mastectomy may treat several types of breast cancer: invasive ductal carcinoma, invasive lobular carcinoma, medullary carcinoma, mucinous and tubular carcinomas, inflammatory carcinoma, Paget's disease, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, talk to your doctor about your choices:
You and your doctor must consider:
The choice of what is best for you can be difficult. Sometimes, your doctor may recommend one type of surgery. This is because your doctor can tell you what is known about the type of cancer you have and your risk factors. Other times, your doctor will talk with you about two or more surgical treatments that would be good for your cancer. WOMEN AT HIGH RISK FOR BREAST CANCER Your doctor may do either a subcutaneous or total mastectomy to reduce your risk of breast cancer if you are at very high risk of developing breast cancer. This is called prophylactic mastectomy. You may have a higher risk of getting breast cancer if one close family relative, or more, has had breast cancer, especially at an early age. Genetic tests (such as BRCA1 or BRCA2) may also show you have a high risk. This surgery should be done only after very careful thought and discussion with your doctor, a genetic counselor, your family, and others. Mastectomy greatly reduces, but does not eliminate, the risk of breast cancer. |
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